Moisture indicator



`Aug. 17 1926.

R. B. WlNN MOISTURE INDICATOR Filed May l, 1924 3 Ero Cal Patented ug. 17, 1926.

UNITED STATES ROBERT B. WINN, oF'rA'IRnrGH'T, SASKATCHEWAN, GANADA.-

jMoIsT-RE INDICATOR.-

Applicaton filed Mayv 1,

The invention relates to improvements in moisture indicators and particularlyxto a device for indicating the moisture Ycondition of grain and an object of therinvention is to provide a Ydevice which4 will effect the separation of the moist'and dry grain in a sample quantity ofv grain by utilizing the vaction of gravity, the'` grain being projected into the air in a more or less horizontal direction and permitted to fall freely and being subsequently Y caught in balanced pans or such like, the. relative weights of the iilledrpans indicating the amount of moisture lin the sample.` A v 1 A further object is tovprovide a dev-ice which can be manufactured at small ,cost and which will accuratelyv indicate the amount of moisture in a grain sample and which can be readily Aset for use with the different grains which it is desired to test.

A further object is to provide means associated with the balanced pans, wherebyan average sample of a quantity of grain, such as a load, can be obtained.

`With the above more important objects in view the invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter more particularly described, referenceV being had to the accompanying draw.- ing in which: i Y Fig. l is a front View of the complete device. v Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view longitudinally and centrally through the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed vertical sectional view at 3-3 Figure 2.

Fig. et is an enlarged detailedl vertical sectional view through the upper `end of a grain elevator and showing the sample tube associated therewith.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view` of 'the balanced pans and associated parts.y

In rthe drawing like characters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures. f

Considerable trouble is experienced and `time lost at the present time in determining the moisture condition of grain delivered or received in anV elevator and the method of obtaining a fair sample of grain, in order to test the moisture conditions, is very unsatisfactory as the same does not give a fair or representative` sample of the complete quantity of grain. According 'to my inventionA tityof grain, say such as a load of grain,

I obtain a fair sample of a quan- 1924. serial No. F10,386.

and having obtained this am able to accurately and quickly determine the moisture condition of suchsample to the satisfaction Y of both'the buyer and the seller and which creates a better feeling of conlidence between the parties. y x -i- At pointswliere grain is handled in quantities, Ysuch as at country or terminal'fele- -vators, the load ofgrain visndumped into areceiving hopper forr weighing purposes and vthen is dumped from the hopper intoyan under pit from which it is elevated', and dischargedl intov anyone of anumberofstoragev bins as selected by the attendant.: As -such is ordinary practice Ihave considered it suiicient, for the purposes of thel present invention, to only show the parts of the Aelevator with which my invention is associ ated.

The elevator legfl contains the endless cup-conveyor 2 which discharges'the grain into the distributing spout', such lspout beging: utilized todirectth'e grain into any selected storage bin. A load' of grain having been delivered, say by a farmer, to the elevator is dumped into vandweighed inthe receiving hopper, hereinbefo're mentioned, and from the receiving hopper is discharged .into the pit and, from the pit is velevated by the elevator to the distributing spout 3.

The sample of grain which I obtain from the load is taken fromY the elevator by means of a sample 'tube' l extending centrallyy into the head of the elevator in the mannerl shown vin Figure t and arranged such that as the grain'is passing tothe distributing spout a small quantity thereof will at all times be caught in the sample tube and discharged by said tube into a receiving` pipe 5. This pipe 5 passes down the elevator adjoining `the elevator leg and it is provided adjacent its lower end with an inclined portion 6,

the lower side of which is fitted with a screen 7, and the'lower end of which opens to a sample lcollecting boX S, the bottom of which is closed'by a sliding gate 9. i

yThe screen 7 is of such a nature that it will permit the passage of dirt and small seeds therethrough with the result that clean grain only enters the boX. The small seeds,

dirt and such like are collected beneath the screen and fed through a discharge tube'lO to a suitably supported collecting box Vll which can be dumped from time to time.

llO

An inclined chute 12 communicates with Y the boXSand the lower side or bottom 13 n the edge 25.

of the chute is of the shape best` shown in Figure 2 where it will be seen that the end next the box slants angularly downward rather abruptly and thereafter changes to a gradual curve with the end '14 of the chuteremote from the box curving upwardly. The lower end of the chute opens to a box 15 having the bottom thereof formedA to .present similar hoppers 16 and 17 from which discharge spouts 18 and 19 lead. The hoppers 16 andv 17 are actually formed by downwardly converging -outer plates `2O and 21 and upwardly converging inner plates 22 and 23,-the spouts 18 and 19 .being introduced between the lower ends of the plates 2O and 22,v and 21 and 23 respectively. The point of intersection of the plates 22 and 23 is located. centrally ofthe box and passes parallel withthe take-off edge 25 of the chute. The edge 24, however, is considerably below -Beneath the hoppers 16 and 17 I locate a pair of balanced pans 26 and 27, thepan 26 being. adapted to receive the grain -discharged through the spout 19 `and the pan 27 that discharged through the spout 18. The pans are slidably supported by the ends of a substantially rectangular frame 2S and are mounted so .that they can lbe pulled forwardly and removed in the same manner as the ordinary slidingdrawer. Theside'members 29 and f3() of the .frame have the. ends ,each fitted with aset of adjusting screws 31 and 32. `The screws of each set` have their inner ends engaged. with van adjusting bary 33 which underlies the side bars 29 and30 in each instance. Both theba-rs 33y are provided centrally of their'length with hangers 34 and 35 and the hanger 35 is extended to provide a .pointer or finger 36.

The hangers 34 and 35 are connected pivotally to the box 15in any suitable manner as indicated at 37 and `the, arrangement is -such that the empty pans 26. and 27 counter balance one Vanother upon the screws. 31 and 32 being adjusted. lVhenthe emptypans are balanced, the pointer takes a vertical position and the upper end thereof is positioned centrally of a gaugebar 38 carried by suitable supports39 and 40 extending upwardly from the. top of the box 15.

Obviously the pans can be readily adjusted in either directionby tightening the screws 31 and loosening thosev 32 or vice versa.

Vithin the box or casing 15 and centrally betweenthe hoppers 16 and 17 Iilocate a divider 41 which extends lengthwise between the hoppers and has the upper 4end thereof curved as shown best. in Figure 2 towards the chute 12. This divider has-the ends thereof slidably mounted in end guides 42 yand it is vertically adjustable. The adjustment` is made in the following way:

A cross shaft 43 is provided, the shaft being fitted at one end of the box 15 with a controlling lever 44 and with a crank 45 which is pivotally connected by a link 46 to the divider. The lever operates over a scale 47 which is marked for various grains; oats, barley,"rye and wheat being herein marked.

rVlheat is obviousl the heaviest of the orains shown and oats the lightest. Then the lever stands atathe mark indicating wheat, the divider is in its highest position. lhen it ison the point indicated by oats, the divider is in its lowest position.

lVhen the device is in use,the vsample tube 4 continuously discharges a small quantity lof grain to the pipe 5 andin this connectionit is-desirable that, say for a. wagon load of grain elevated, the sample tube will gatherl and deliver, say four pounds of grain. This four..pounds ofgrain `is obviouslya Atrue sample of the load asL-itisv taken from the whole load as the same is beingdischarged from the elevator' to the. discharge spout and is not a more or lessv restricted sample, as is the case in present practicewhereatest tube isinserted in the load itself -to obtain f the sample. The pipe 5 carries the sample of grain to the inclined .portion 6; where the foreign material is screened out and dropped to the box 11. The cleanv grainis caughtzin the boxv 8v whichis designed to hold, say-four pounds ofA grain. If this grain be barley, the lever 44 is set in theposition indicated in the drawing whereas if it ybe rye, .oats-.or wheat, the lever is moved to the position indicating. such grains. vThe sample having been collected in the box 8 .and` the lever having been set, the attendant thenopens the gate 9 which liberates the sample of grain on to the bottoniof the chute. .Asv the grain slides down the chute it spreads .out and owing to the varying moisture content'uof the various grain kernels, the grain kernels are projectedv in an upwardly Ainclininggdirection over the edge 25of the .chute vat different velocities and accordingly thefmoist kernels will fallsooner than the dry. The moist grain iscaught in the hopper 17 and delivered by the` spout, 19 to the pan4 2 6, whilst the lighter grain is caughtv bythe hopper 16 and deliveredthrough the spout 18 to the pan 27. If after the test has been made anditis found, that the pointer .remains vertical, the sample of grain is gauged accordingly which might be, say.,nor.mal. The amount which the pointer swingsto the left is a direct indication of the predominance of dry grain in the sampleivhereas the amountf'which it moves tothe right from central position,vis a directindication of the predominance of moist grain ingthe sample. By providing the bar.38 with. a suitable scale, as practice may establish, one can directly state the grade of grain in so far-as moisture condition is concerned.

This device is very simple in construction and operation, takes a fair sample of grain 'from the Whole load and visibly and accurately indicates the condition of moisture which, when the device is fully understood, Will make it particularly desirable for use between the buyer and the seller as it Will establish a better feeling of confidence between the parties.

Whilst I have described the device as used in a particular manner, it Will be readily understood that it can be used for testing purposes in any location and under any circumstances.

Vflliat I claim as my invention is l. In a moisture indicator for testing a sample of grain, a chute in Which the sample is liberated, said chute being adapted to project the grain into the air and at a considerable velocity in a direction across the path. of the action of gravity, hoppers adapted to catch the Jfalling grain counter balanced receivers underlying the hoppers and adapted to receive the grain caught thereby, an indicator associated with the receivers and moving therewith and a stationary moisture indicating scale over Which the indicator operates.

ln a moisture indicator for testing a sample o ain, a chute in which the sample is liberated, saidv chute being adapted to project the grain into the air and at a considerable velocity in a direction across the path ot' the action of gravity, a set of hoppers centrally underlying the falling stream ot grain, a pair of balanced pans into Which the grain from the hoppers is discharged, an indicator moving with the pans and a sta-A tionary scale over which the indicator opcrates.V

3. In a moisture indicator for testing a sample of gra-in, a chute in Whichthe sample is liberated, said chute being adapted to project the grain into the air and at a considarable velocity in a direction across the path of the action of gravity, a set of hoppers centrally underlying the falling stream of grain, said hoppers having their adjacent edges converging upwardly, a vertically adjustable divider extending upwardly into the stream or' grain in a location centrally between the hoppers, a pair of balanced pans underlying the hoppers and adapted to receive the grain caught by the hoppers, a pointer associated with the pans and a stationary moisture indicator scale over which the pointer operates.

4. In a moisture indicator for testing a sample of grain, a chute for receiving the sample of grain and adapted to project the grain in a stream or considerable velocity passing in adirection across the path of the action of gravity, a receiving box into which the stream of grain is projected, said boX having the lower part thereof formed to provide a pair of adjacent hoppers adapted to receive the falling grain, a pair of balanced pans underlying the hoppers, chutes leading from the hoppers to the pans and means whereby the diiiference in Weight of the grain containing pans is visibly indicated.

5. Means Y for separating grain kernels having varying moisture content comprising a chute receiving the grain kernels and projecting the grain kernels at different velocities across the path of the action of gravity, the varying velocities of the different kernels leaving the chute being directly dependent upon the moisture content of the kernels.

Signed at Fairlight this 28th day of March, 1924.

ROBERT B. WINN.. 

